


The Faucethead

by Skyblu



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: 90s Architecture AU, Architecture will be done to you, M/M, Richard is still a computer nerd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 08:30:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6898564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyblu/pseuds/Skyblu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1990. Richard and Bighead just earned their architecture degrees, and now it's off to work!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Faucethead

**Author's Note:**

> I lived and breathed this crap for two years. If there's some architecture term in here that you can't figure out, PM me and I'll make a glossary. I'm surrounded by architects, so I forget which phrases are understood by normal people.

Bighead, one of Richard’s studiomates and his best friend, stood at the front of the room. He’d been talking for about fifteen minutes about his project. He seemed to lack the sheen of flop sweat Richard had noticed on all the students who had presented previously. Hell, Richard still hadn’t presented, and he was already sweating through his shirt. It was so nerve-wracking, standing in front of a whole panel of real architects, telling them about the most important work of your life thus far, only to have them tear it apart and critique the tiniest details. And Bighead was just standing there smiling, taking questions, listening to what they had to say.

“It’s interesting to see the way your design interacts with the site, just sort of skimming the surface,” one of their instructor’s friends said. “Your elevations are very Miesian, too. You obviously drew inspiration from the Farnsworth House.” The speaker, a tall, thin man who wore a lot of color for an architect, stood and inspected some of the drawings pinned to the wall behind Bighead.

“Yeah,” Bighead smiled. “My buddy Richard and I went out to Chicago last summer on an architectural road trip. Lot of Frank Lloyd Wright who of course is great, but Mies really stood out to me.”

Jeremy, their instructor, nodded. “Bighead…uh, sorry, Nelson! Nelson’s elevations have always been really interesting. The first time I saw them, I thought, ‘This guy has no idea what he’s doing!’ But since I’ve seen him work in my own studio, it’s become clear to me that he’s really got a brilliant architectural mind.”

Richard choked down his laughter. Bighead. A brilliant architectural mind. Two weeks ago, they’d been sitting in their living room, sharing a joint, while Bighead told him, “Dude, I dunno. I tell Jeremy I drew something a certain way because it looked cool, and he just makes up all the reasons I designed it that way. I didn’t even realize my project looked like Farnsworthy House until he pointed it out today. And drafting? I’m about to fucking graduate from architecture school, and I still don’t know what line weights to use for what.” Fucking Bighead. A brilliant architectural mind.

“Obviously the project would be an unqualified success if it were only judged on graphics. I don’t find your project to be entirely convincing in plan,” another critic said.

Richard tuned out the critics and focused on his own upcoming presentation. He rehearsed his statements in his head, until finally he heard Jeremy say, “Richard? Richard you’re up.”

He took Bighead’s place at the front of the room as his reviewers shifted their chairs a few feet to the left in front of Richard’s drawings. Jeremy frowned the moment he saw Richard’s work. That was not a good sign. Richard’s heart was already pounding out of his chest, his gut was already cramping, and his hands were already trembling. He did not need Jeremy frowning at him.

“Uh. Hi. I’m Richard Hendricks,” he said, his voice shaky. He glanced down at the notecard in his hand before immediately launching into his prepared speech. It was all a blur. The words fell out of his mouth. He was sure he transposed a few and completely skipped over some others, which hopefully weren’t important. Finally, he reached the end of his speech: “Thank you,” and stopped. He looked at the panel of architects and the students seated behind them. He hoped someone would say something soon.

Jeremy was the first to speak. “Well, I’m disappointed in you, Richard,” he said. Richard’s heart stopped. Jeremy continued, “Your project as a whole is competent, as I expected, but I asked you to pin up something that wasn’t computer-generated.”

“Well, I mean, I think computer drafting is the future, and it really saves time once you-“

“I don’t care about time. Richard, this is your thesis. Your last project. And it really lost something between your sketches and your final drawings. I told you if nothing else to pin up a few sketchbook pages.” Jeremy leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

Bighead tapped Jeremy on the shoulder. “Uh, here’s Richard’s sketchbook. Maybe you guys could pass that around? Uh…” he flipped through the pages until he found something relevant to Richard’s project, then passed it forward.

One of the architecture history professors on the panel got up to take a closer look at Richard’s drawings on the wall. “There’s no soul in these,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s fine work, conceptually. Schematically postmodern, wrapped in an art nouveau shell. Art nouveau is a very superficial movement. It’s all in the fine, organic details. You can’t get that with a computer. And I still don’t understand your placement on the site.”

The professor sat down again and took Richard’s sketchbook from Jeremy. He glanced at a few pages while the other critics gave their opinions on Richard’s work. Richard barely heard any of them. He just nodded dumbly and hoped Bighead was taking notes. Suddenly, the architecture history professor shoved a page of Richard’s sketchbook into his face. “This, do you see this?” the professor interrupted another speaker. “This detail is magnificent. You’re an idiot for not including it in your presentation.” He showed the rest of the panel.

After what felt like forever, Jeremy finally said, “Okay, I guess we’re done for the day. Thanks Richard.” He stood up and turned to face his class. “You guys who have already gone, don’t skip tomorrow. You gotta see all your classmates’ projects to pass the class.” He handed Richard’s sketchbook to him. “Good work, Richard.” Richard stood, frozen in place, still too shell-shocked from the critique to think about anything.

As the panelists and students dispersed, Bighead got up from his seat. “We did it, man!” He hugged Richard. “Dude, we’re architects. Come on, let’s pin down.”


End file.
